The Whore in the House of Prayer

By on Aug 29, 2009 in In Production |

Per usual, all five of the Emmy nominees for Main Title Design are stellar achievements—and nice counterpoints to the the title card some shows display in lieu of an actual sequence. But the most captivating of these year’s contenders is the one Digital Kitchen designed for HBO’s True Blood. Pulsating, lascivious, and kinetic, the sequence is a whirlwind tour of the South—its culture, its environment, and its seedy underbelly. I love so much about this sequence: the music (Jace Everett’s “Bad Things”); the rough-hewn, custom-made typeface; the frenetic editing; the images of life and death, the juxtaposition of religious and sexual ecstasy, et cetera, et cetera. See for yourself: And, if you’re interested in how Digital Kitchen developed this magnum opus, you may find Creative League’s “Making Of” article (from whence the title of...

Dostoyevsky Novels and the Dream Era

By on Aug 26, 2009 in In Production |

The A.V. Club recently posted an in-depth interview with comedian/actor Patton Oswalt, the voice of the rat in Ratatouille and the star of upcoming drama Big Fan (and, incidentally, a man whose first name is my middle!). His insights into comedy, acting, and fatherhood are all astute and articulate (if a tad profane). But the parts I want to share with you are those in which he expounds upon the state of television, in light of his guest-starring roles on shows like Dollhouse and Caprica. When asked whether he’d commit to being a series regular for a television show (an undertaking few movie stars are willing to make), he replied: Oh yeah. What’s really odd now—trust me, I love doing movies, but right now, television is the way Hollywood was in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The dream era I would have loved to have been part of in Hollywood then is happening right now, but it’s...

Re-married with Children

By on Aug 25, 2009 in Previews |

2009-2010 New Series Preview, Part 3 ABC has four new comedies in the pipeline, and three of them have unfortunately unfunny previews: Hank, The Middle, and Cougar Town. If producers do put all the best bits in the previews, well… the outlook for those shows is bleak. But the fourth, Modern Family, looks to be riotous, and it has been earning acclaim from television critics more reputable than I. (You know, the ones who don’t have to rely on previews to pass judgment!) Modern Family follows three couples (and their progeny) in an Office-like mockumentary way: a couple raising three children, a newlywed couple with a May-December age gap, and a gay couple with an adopted daughter. And, in a hitherto secret twist, all the couples are related. Many shows of this ilk require a few episodes for the viewers to really understand the characters and thus understand the humor, but...

“24”: Impressive Talent Clocking In

By on Aug 23, 2009 in In Production |

Even though the countdown clock reminds us that we have 147 days yet to wait, I’m already excited for Season 8 of 24. Granted, it’s not often that I feel pumped about the eighth season of a show. But last season brought the goods, and next season might do the same. The casting department has eclectic and savvy choices that I find commendable. Starting with the actors pictured above, the new cast members for the upcoming season include: Anil Kapoor, a Bollywood star who is best known to American audiences for his portrayal of the smarmy game-show host in Slumdog Millionaire. Katee Sackhoff, the woman who made Kara “Starbuck” Thrace a fan-favorite character of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Callum Keith Rennie, who (coincidentally) played the Starbuck-obsessed Leoben on Battlestar Galactica, as well as libidinous record-producer Lew Ashby on Californication....

A Different High School Musical

By on Aug 18, 2009 in Previews | 3 comments

2009-2010 New Series Preview, Part 2 Statistically, only a third of all new shows avoid cancellation during their first seasons. I have no doubt in my mind that Glee will be among them this year. It’s riding the wave of popularity for all things song-and-dance, and yet it’s edgier, funnier, and so much more fulfilling—for my money, at least—than That Which Shall Not Be Named. Glee follows a teacher who, unsatisfied by his stagnant life, rekindles his dream of taking McKinley High’s glee club to fame and glory. He finds club members in some of the school’s most derided outcasts: a showbiz-obsessed goody-goody, a paraplegic nerd, a stuttering goth, a flamboyant fashionisto, and a Jennifer Hudson wannabe. And to bolster the social standing of the group, he also recruits a quarterback, one who actually starts to enjoy the club. In addition to the talent and humor of...